Electric belt



L. HUGHES.

ELEGTRIG BELT.

(No Model.)

No. 325,086. Patented Au 25, 1885.

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Warren STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEE HUGHES, OF MARSHALL, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC BELT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,086, dated August25, 1885.

Application tiled April 13, 1885. (X0 model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEE HUGHES, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Marshall, in the county of Saline andState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Belts, of which the followin g is aspecification, referencebeing bad therein the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in electric belts andother similar articles, and it has for its objects to so construct theconnections of the plates constituting the battery that greater and moreperfect conductive power will be obtained, and corrosion and destructionat the point of connection will be in a great measure, if notentirely,obviated, and also to provide for an improved construction ofbelt proper, whereby it may bemore conveniently used, and made morecomfort able to the wearer, as more fully hereinafter specified. TheseobjectsI attain by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 represents an elevation of the belt with a portionbroken away, showing the inclosed battery; Fig. 2, a detached view oftwo of the battery elements detached, showing the connecting conductors.

The letter A indicates the belt proper which is constructed of anysuitable water proof material, such as rubber cloth, oiled silk, or thelike, or a suitable fabric, lined with such material. The said beltismade of double thicknesses of material, so as to form an interior spacefor the battery, which is indicated by the letter B in the drawings. Thesaid battery is con'iposed of a series of sections composed of zinc andcopper plates, (indicated by the 1 by the casing or envelope of thebelt, which letters a b,) between which are interposed absorbent orporous separating material 0, which may be felt on other suitablesubstance. The parts composing said sections are bound to gether bymeansof cords or bands of suitable non-conducting material, as indicated bythe letter d.

The letter 0 indicates the connecting-conductors, which are composed ofstrands of twisted wire passing alternately through the zinc and copperplates of the sections at the ends, being twisted or tied between theplates, in orderto securely connect the whole together.

The extremities of the wires are spread out so as to form brushes, whichbear against the respective plates of each section, as plainly shown inFig. 2, for the purpose more fully hereinafter explained. The endconductors are soldered or otherwise securely attached to the metallicdisks or pads O, which are fast ened to the belt near the ends, as shownin Fig. l of the drawings. The said end conductors are attached one tothe zinc and the other to the copper terminal plates of the battery, thedisks being thus made to serve as the positive and negative poles of thesame. To the inside of the belt near each disk is arranged a flap, D, oflinen, cotton, or other suitable material, which may be folded over thedisks, to modify or weaken the action of the current, and prevent directcontact of the metal with the body, which is in many cases disagreeable.The said flaps, it is evident, must be of some waterabsorbent fabric, inorder to render it conductive material, so as to permit of the passageof the electric current. The belt is provided with the usual strap, E,at one end and with a buckle (not shown) at the other.

The operation of inyinvention will be readily understood in connectionwith the above description, and is as follows: The sections beingarranged as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and the absorbentseparating material between the plates saturated with acidulated wateror other exciting solution, the battery is arranged within the belt, andthe connections with the disks, after which the belt is closed, and isready for use. By means of the connecting-conductors, which are formedwith brushes bearing upon the plates of the batterysections, and heldagainst the same presses the whole firmly together, it will be seen thatthe current passes from one plate to another at numerous points. Thiscauses thezinc plates to decompose uniformly throughout, preventingcorrosionat the point of contact or connection of the conductors, whichwould otherwise be destroyed at such points long before the entireplates were consumed, allowing them to break apart and render thebattery useless. It will thus be seen that by my improvedconnecting-conductors a battery may be formed which will be cheap inconstruction, and economical in use, as it will not break apart or ceaseto act until the zinc plates are entirely consumed.

Another advantage of my improved belt is that the disks, being providedwith coveringflaps, will not prove disagreeable or inconvenient to themost delicate person, which is a great desideratum.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, in a battery for electric belts or other likepurposes, of the positive and negative plates or elements, and theconnectin g-conductors havin g brush es at their extremities bearingupon the connected plates, sub- 7 stantially as and ior the purposesspecif ed. or

2. The combination, with the belt, of the battery connected in sectionsby the connectingconductors, having. brushes at their extremithebattery, and the metallic disks or pads, of

the flaps adapted to cover said disks or pads, substantially asspecified.

4. A conductor for connecting the zinc and copper plates of a batteryfor electric belts, consisting of strands of wire, twisted togetherbetween their ends, and having, said ends spread apart in the form ofbrushes, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEE HUGHES.

